#baked falafel

[cdandor]

Baked Falafel

[hebrewbyinbal]

Imagine you're wandering through a lively Israeli market, surrounded by the hustle and bustle.

You spot a charming bakery selling Challah bread – this isn't just bread; it's an invitation to connect with the locals.

When you confidently ask for a Challah bread like a local, you're not just getting bread; you're engaging in a warm cultural exchange.

Locals will appreciate your effort to embrace their traditions, and you might even strike up a conversation with a friendly baker who shares stories of their family's secret Challah recipe.

Same goes for our Pita. When you confidently order a Pita for your falafel or sabich like a local, you're not just satisfying your hunger; you're becoming part of the local food culture.

It's an unspoken bond with the vendor, a nod of appreciation for their craft. You might even receive extra toppings or a friendly smile for your efforts.

In essence, mastering the pronunciation of these words goes beyond mere linguistics; it's your ticket to authentic experiences and connections in Israel.

It's about embracing the culture, forming real-life connections, and savoring every bite as if you've been a part of this vibrant tapestry all along. 🥖🫓🇮🇱

[fieriframes]

[A little baking soda? Just a pinch. It helps create a little pillowiness. This is my little falafel scooper.]

[shalom-iamcominghome]

In keeping with my desire to keep kosher-style, I'm going to be making some kosher falafel from a mix, and while falafel is enjoyed by a ton of diverse people, I've always associated falafel as a sort of jewish-style food, even before I really understood why. I've never had it before, but seeing as it's kosher (the mix), I wanted to see what it would be like.

[carlcatron]

Baked Falafel Sandwiches with CucumberYogurt Sauce

[gkonboard]

Delicious Homemade Falafel Recipe: A Middle Eastern Delight! சத்தான ரெசிபி செம ஈஸி

[ilikegouache]

Baked falafel

[cloviastudio]

Baked falafel manakish wraps

[exclaimblog]

Baked Falafel

[piesandwich]

Baked falafel

[colfernarvaezwrites]

Baked falafel manakish wraps

[buingtans]

Baked Sweet Potato Falafel

[auntie-cosima]

Baked Falafel - Vegetarian

[claireelizabeth-1994]

Baked Falafel and Tzatziki Yogurt Sauce

[najia-cooks]

[ID: A group of pastry pinwheels on a blue plate next to a bowl of yoghurt garnished with parsley. End ID]

صفيحة يافاوية / Safiha yafawiyya (Yaffan pinwheels)

The dish

صَفِيحَة يَافَاوِيَّة ("ṣafīḥa yāfāwīyya") is a type of safiha, or flatbread, believed to have originated in the coastal city of يافا (yāfā; "Yaffa," sometimes "Jaffa"). While other versions of safiha consist of a flat piece of dough topped with meat, Yaffan safiha are made by rolling dough out to a transparent thinness, folding it to enclose a filling of meat or spinach, and then whirling it around into a pinwheel shape. More highly valued in Yaffa than flat safiha, Yaffan safiha inspires proprietary feelings amongst residents and emigrants. The technique has, however, spread to other areas in Palestine, as well as to Alexandria, Egypt, where a large number of Yaffan exiles have resettled.

Yaffan safiha may also be called "حواية" ("ḥawāya"), after a kind of towel that is stitched into a spiral and placed on top of the head to cushion it while carrying jugs of water, or trays that are hot from the oven. One Yaffan woman remembers her mother assembling these pastries at home and then bringing them, in a large copper tray, to the baker, so they could be cooked in a shared oven for a small fee. The baker's wife would have to wait to use the oven another day. The usage of communal ovens by those who do not have an oven in their home is still common practice in rural areas of Palestine.

Traditionally, the dough used to make Yaffan safiha includes only flour, salt, oil, and water. Some modern Palestinian recipes leaven the dough with baking powder; or include milk powder as a way to use food aid from NGOs, which seek to alleviate the effects of the Israeli occupation's extreme restriction of transport, travel, and agricultural activities on Palestinians' diets. With a spinach filling and without milk powder, the safa'ih may be described as "صيامي" ("ṣiyāmī): a word derived from "صِيَام" ("ṣiyām"; "fast") but which, due to the abstention from meat mandated during the Lenten fast, is colloquially used to mean "vegetarian."

Golden brown and fragrant with olive oil, these safa'ih combine layers of crisp, flaky dough with a savory, well-spiced filling. Recipes for both a 'meat' and a spinach filling are provided. A side of yoghurt and a garnish of mint round out the flavors of the filling and add tanginess and textural contrast.

[ID: Close-up of two pinwheels cut open to reveal a spinach filling and a 'meat' filling between thin layers of pastry. End ID]

The Bride of Palestine

Yaffa is a port city with an ancient history which, until the 20th century, was the largest Arab city in, and the cultural and economic capital of, Palestine. For this reason it has sometimes been called عروس" "فلسطين ("'arūs filasṭīn"); "The Bride of Palestine." With the 1909 founding of the nearby Tel Aviv, Yaffa began to be considered its "twin" or "sister" ("האחיות") city; it had a distinctly Arab character where Tel Aviv was almost entirely Jewish. Yaffa was thus considered in disctinctly racialized terms: both attraction and threat; a source of authentic rootedness in the land which could be tapped, but also a potentially contagious bastion of Oriental "weak[ness]" ("חליש").

Yaffa had been a popular destination for culinary tourism in Mandate Palestine, with young settlers heading to the seaside to escape from religious studies and religious dietary restrictions—associated with diaspora Judaism and a lack of connection to a homeland—and to eat earthier Arab foods such as hummus, falafel, kebab, and ful.

In 1948, Zionist paramilitary organization Irgun dropped several tons of British bombs on major civilian areas of Yaffa in order to overwhelm resistance and empty the city of its Arab population; they destroyed the much of the Old City in the process. The neighborhood of المنشية (Manshiya) was destroyed shortly thereafter. Beginning in December of 1948, Yaffa was, part by part, annexed to Tel Aviv.

Today, despite the annexation and the Hebraization of the street signs, Yaffa maintains an Arab character in popular discourse. The call to prayer is heard in the streets, and the أبو العافي (Abulafia) bakery and أبو حسن (Abu Hassan) hummus restaurant and remain where they have been since the 1760s and 1970s, respectively. But increasing gentrification, rising rent prices, cafes and restaurants which cater to tourists and settlers, and the construction of Jewish-only residential projects threaten to continue the ethnic cleansing of the ancient city.

Yaffan Cuisine

Israeli occupation has tended to collapse some of the regional distinctions within Palestinian cuisine, as Palestinians are forced into exile or else crowded into Gaza and into smaller and smaller enclaves within the West Bank. Some dishes, however, still have variations that are associated with particular cities. Stuffed red carrots (محشي الجزر الأحمر; "maḥshi al-jazar al-'aḥmar"), cored and filled with rice and spiced meat, are a dish common throughout Palestine but cooked differently everywhere: in a sauce of lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, and red tahina in Gaza; in tamarind paste in Al-Quds and Ramallah; and in orange juice in the orange-rich Yaffa region. Abu Hassan restaurant serves مسبحة (msabbaha), a Yaffan classic in which chickpeas and tahina are mixed with green chili pepper, and lemon juice.

Donate to an evacuation fund

Buy an eSim for use in Gaza

Help Anera provide food in Gaza

Ingredients:

For the dough (makes 32):

500g flour (4 cups + 1 Tbsp)

1 tsp table salt

2 Tbsp olive oil

Enough water to form a soft, tacky dough (about 1 3/4 cup / 500mL)

For the meat filling (makes 16):

125g vegetarian ground beef (as a substitute for minced lamb)

1 small yellow onion, minced

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste

1/2 Tbsp ground sumac

1/2 Tbsp pomegranate molasses (optional)

For the spinach filling (makes 16):

500g spinach, washed and chopped

1 tsp kosher salt, for removing water

1 small yellow onion, minced

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp table salt, or to taste

Squeeze of lemon juice

1 tsp shatta (hot red pepper paste)

1/2 Tbsp pomegranate molasses (optional)

Some recipes include sumac in the spinach filling, but this is not considered traditional.

Instructions:

For the dough:

1. Measure dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Add oil and mix briefly. Add water, a little at a time, until the dough comes together into a slightly tacky ball. Knead for five minutes, until smooth and elastic.

2. Divide dough into 16 balls of about 50g each. Roll it out into a cylinder and cut it in half repeatedly; or weigh the dough using a kitchen scale and divide by 16.

3. Pour some olive oil in a tray or baking sheet and coat each dough ball. Leave them on the tray, covered, to rest while you prepare the fillings.

For the meat filling:

1. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil on medium-high. Add meat and fry, stirring often, until nearly cooked through.

2. Add onions, salt, and spices and fry until onion is translucent.

3. Remove from heat. Stir in sumac and pomegranate molasses. Taste and adjust. Let cool.

For the spinach filling:

1. Mix spinach with salt and let sit 10-15 minutes. Squeeze to remove excess water.

2. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in medium-high. Fry onion, salt, and pepper for a minute until translucent.

3. Combine all ingredients. Taste and adjust salt.

To assemble:

1. Oil a clean work surface, as well as your hands. Spread a dough ball out into a very thin, translucent circle by repeatedly patting with your fingers while pushing outwards. Be sure to push outwards from the center so that the circle does not become too thin at the edges. A few small holes are okay, since the dough will be folded and rolled in on itself.

2. Cut the circle in half with a sharp knife. Spread 1/16 of either filling in a thin line along the cut edge, leaving a margin of 1 cm (1/2") or so.

3. Roll the edge of the dough (the cut edge) over to encase the filling. Continue rolling, trying as much as possible to exclude air, until you have a long rope of dough.

4. Roll the rope around in a tight spiral. Tuck the very end of the dough underneath and press to seal. Place on a preparing baking sheet.

5. Repeat until the filling and dough are used up. Meanwhile, preheat an oven to 375 °F (190 °C). Bake the safiha in the top third of the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden in color. 

Serve warm with yoghurt.

[rachellaurengray]

Not sure what to eat today that aligns with your diet goals? Here's a list of 50 things you can eat under 400 calories:

1. Grilled chicken breast (4 oz) with steamed vegetables

2. Turkey and avocado wrap with 15 cal tortilla

3. Greek salad with feta cheese and olives

4. Veggie omelette made with egg whites

5. Quinoa salad with mixed vegetables

6. Baked salmon fillet (4 oz) with roasted asparagus

7. Tuna salad on whole grain crackers

8. Cottage cheese with sliced strawberries

9. Shrimp stir-fry with broccoli and bell peppers

10. Black bean soup with a side of cornbread

11. Grilled tofu skewers with teriyaki sauce

12. Whole grain pasta with marinara sauce and grilled vegetables

13. Hummus and vegetable sticks

14. Turkey chili with a dollop of Greek yogurt

15. Brown rice sushi rolls with cucumber and avocado

16. Chicken Caesar salad without croutons

17. Steamed edamame sprinkled with sea salt

18. Spinach and feta stuffed chicken breast (4 oz)

19. Veggie burger on a whole wheat bun

20. Caprese salad with fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil

21. Lentil soup with a side of whole grain bread

22. Baked sweet potato topped with Greek yogurt and cinnamon

23. Tofu and vegetable stir-fry with low-sodium soy sauce

24. Egg salad lettuce wraps

25. Grilled shrimp skewers with zucchini and cherry tomatoes

26. Chicken and vegetable kebabs

27. Cauliflower crust pizza with veggies and light cheese

28. Whole grain toast with mashed avocado and sliced tomato

29. Baked cod fillet (4 oz) with lemon and herbs

30. Quinoa-stuffed bell peppers

31. Greek yogurt parfait with fresh fruit and granola

32. Turkey and vegetable soup

33. Baked eggplant parmesan

34. Steamed mussels in white wine sauce

35. Veggie and tofu lettuce wraps

36. Cottage cheese and pineapple

37. Spaghetti squash with marinara sauce

38. Greek yogurt smoothie with spinach and banana

39. Baked chicken meatballs with marinara sauce

40. Roasted vegetable and goat cheese salad

41. Salmon salad with mixed greens and balsamic vinaigrette

42. Turkey and cranberry lettuce wraps

43. Baked falafel with tahini sauce

44. Zucchini noodles with pesto and cherry tomatoes

45. Tuna and white bean salad

46. Stuffed portobello mushrooms with quinoa and spinach

47. Grilled teriyaki tofu with brown rice

48. Greek yogurt chicken salad with grapes and almonds

49. Turkey and black bean lettuce wraps

50. Spinach and feta stuffed mushrooms

These options offer a variety of tastes and textures while keeping your calorie intake in check. Enjoy!